


words unspoken

by onlyeverthus



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 20:37:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5942341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyeverthus/pseuds/onlyeverthus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose has a habit of wandering off, but this time he's angry with her and she doesn't know why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	words unspoken

The sky is heavy with dark clouds and the air is thick with electricity. There's a rumble of thunder and the ground vibrates beneath her shoes as Rose struggles to keep up with the Doctor. His slim figure is a few paces ahead of her, his head down and his hands in his pockets, his overcoat billowing out behind him. He radiates his own electricity and she can tell he's angry with her.

"Doctor, please wait," she finally calls, no match for his sure step and longer legs. He stops and a small sigh of relief escapes her lips as she hurries to catch up with him, trying to keep from sliding over the slippery rocks, wet and shining from the rain earlier in the day.

She reaches his side and takes a quick step to stand in front of him before he can move again. His gaze is dark as he looks at her, his eyes roving over her face, pointing out with silent efficiency all the reasons why he's mad at her: the bruise blossoming on her cheekbone, the cut on her forehead, the scrape on her chin, all of the evidence of her penchant for wandering away even when he tells her not to.

She stares up at him, her breath coming in quick bursts as they stand in the silence of the gathering thunderstorm.

"I'm sorry," she says finally.

"How many times, Rose?" he says and though he does not raise his voice at her she still flinches. "How many times do I have to say it? _Don't wander off_."

"I'm sorry," she says again, her voice shrinking as her throat tightens. She does not try to explain herself, knowing it will sound daft in light of all that happened.

None of this explains why he's so angry with her, though. She's wandered off dozens of times, been hurt more than she'd honestly care to think about, and he's been disappointed in her and annoyed by her, but never angry like this. She wants to ask him but she doesn't know how.

"One day, Rose," he says and his voice is softer. "One day you'll wander off and you'll get into real trouble and I won't get to you in time. It almost happened today and I just..." He trails off and looks away, staring off into the distance a moment before clearing his throat and stepping around Rose. "C'mon. We need to get back."

She stands still a moment, hearing the crunch of his shoes as he walks away from her. She turns and the first cool drops of rain touch her face.

"You just what?" she calls and he stops and turns back toward her. She moves forward, slowly closing the gap between them. "You just what?"

The rain is falling in earnest now, drenching the both of them as they stand still.

"The thought of something happening to you… it hurts," he says and his voice is low, his words barely distinguishable under the patter of the rain and the rumble of thunder, but she hears him perfectly. "It hurts so much that I can barely stand it sometimes."

"Do you want me to leave?" she asks, unable to keep the hurt and the fear from her voice.

He shakes his head and his eyes are sad. "Never."

She sees something else in his eyes, something mirroring what it's inside of her own heart and she steps forward, completely closing the space between them.

"Say it," she whispers and pain flickers across his face.

"I can't," he replies and starts to back away from her. She grips the front of his coat, holding him in place and staring earnestly up at him. There are tears on her cheeks, mixing with the rain, but she pays them no attention.

"Say it. Please."

"I can't," he says again, shaking his head and his expression is agony and she thinks he may be crying as well but she can't be sure.

They stare silently at each other, the rain continuing its steady fall all around them, and something passes between them, something powerful and unspoken but it is palpable and she gasps and he shivers and her hands fly to his lapel and pull him down to her and her mouth covers his.

He is surprised at first but soon his fingers are tangling in her wet hair and her hands are falling to his waist, sliding under his jacket and pulling him closer to her.

She smiles against his lips and though he can't say what he feels, she can feel it in the gentle movement of his fingers on her face and in the way he kisses her again, his lips light and almost delicate against her own, and she thinks it is enough.


End file.
